From May 6 to 8, a special three-day boat race was held at the Misari Racing Park. Perhaps due to it being a consecutive three-day event, the players' desire for victory was stronger than ever from the designated training. Although the inside course and senior jockeys still showed strong performance, the 12th to 16th generation players attracted attention by creating surprising upsets.

▲Inside courses 1-2, senior jockeys still show strength

An important factor that influences the outcome along with the motor's performance and the players' skills is the course. The first and second inside courses turn closest to the turn mark, making the turning radius smaller and thus advantageous; in this three-day race, out of a total of 51 races, players from courses 1-2 claimed first place in 28 races. On the other hand, only five races saw players assigned to the outside courses 5-6 finish in first place.

Among the three players who were assigned to course 5 and secured first place, Choi Kwang-sung (2nd generation, A2) and Eo Seon-kyu (4th generation, A1) showcased their dominance, overwhelming their competitors, while rookie Choi In-won (16th generation, B2) also had an unexpected strong performance. The players who won first place while assigned to course 6 were Kim In-hye (12th generation, A1) and Han Jong-seok (8th generation, A2).

Meanwhile, the strength of the senior jockeys is still evident. Players within the 10th generation recorded first place in 33 out of 51 races. In particular, Lee Tae-hee (1st generation, B2) and Choi Kwang-sung (2nd generation, A2) succeeded in placing in every race they entered. They had experienced a series of setbacks early in the year, but it seems their lost racing sense has been reviving recently.

▲The protagonists of the upsets are the 12th to 16th generations

Meanwhile, this event saw a series of upsets, with the protagonists being the players from the 12th to 16th generations.

If we were to point out the biggest upset, it would be the 13th race on the 8th. The participants in the race were Lee Ji-soo (3rd generation, B2), Jung Min-soo (1st generation, A1), Jung Seung-ho (15th generation, B2), Choi Young-jae (5th generation, B2), Lee Soo-bin (16th generation, B1), and Kim Min-jun (13th generation, A1). Before the race started, the popularity rankings favored Jung Min-soo and Lee Ji-soo, who had the advantage of course, followed by the top-tier powerhouse Kim Min-jun in 6th place. However, the race turned out differently. As Lee Ji-soo rounded the first turn mark, he obstructed Jung Min-soo’s turn, causing both to be pushed out to the edge of the turn mark. Meanwhile, the lower-rated Jung Seung-ho, Choi Young-jae, and Lee Soo-bin took advantage of the gap and succeeded in placing consecutively. As a result, the double betting odds were 159.6 to 1, and the triple betting odds were 1287.8 to 1. In this race, Lee Ji-soo received a violation warning, resulting in the loss of eligibility to participate in the Mae Queen Special Race.

The second upset was in the 11th race on May 7. Before the race, Jeong Joo-hyun (8th generation, B2) in course 1 and Jeong Yong-jin (1st generation, B1) in course 3 were ranked first and second in popularity. However, at the first turn mark, Jeong Joo-hyun obstructed Jeong Yong-jin's turn, causing Jeong Yong-jin to capsize, and Jeong Joo-hyun was disqualified. Consequently, the following players Kim Young-min (11th generation, A2), Kim Min-jun (13th generation, A1), and Hwang Yi-tae (7th generation, B1) finished in the top three, with the double betting odds at 42.1 to 1 and the triple betting odds at 831.4 to 1.

The third upset occurred in the following 12th race, where Kim In-hye (12th generation, A1) from course 6 and Kim Hyo-nyeon (2nd generation, B2) from course 5 achieved first and second places respectively, with double betting odds at 27.3 to 1 and triple betting odds at 224.6 to 1. Meanwhile, Kim In-hye had participated in five races last week, securing first place twice and third place twice, showing that her recent racing sense is exceptional, and her performance in the Mae Queen Special Race on the 14th is highly anticipated.

Lee Seo-beom, a race analyst at Kyungjeong Korea, noted, "The protagonists of the upsets in this event were the players from the 12th to 16th generations. While players within the 10th generation still form the upper ranks, the heated training of the younger players is gradually narrowing the skill gap with the senior jockeys. A generational change in boat racing seems imminent."

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